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"Let's Have Some Fun!" Linky

I'm linking up with Sally from Elementary Matters in her "Let's Have Some Fun!" linky party. As we're all working hard to get ready for the new school year, let's remember to not get too caught up in the rush, and include a little (or a lot!) of fun in the classroom.

Here's how our linky works: first I'll share a FUNNY "school" story, and then I'll share a FUN product of mine. Let's do it.

(Names have been changed to protect the… guilty.)

So I was walking my students to lunch, single file line and
all. I notice Jimmy chatting it up with a buddy. From the front of the line I wave
him down and give him the Can-we-please-just-get-to-lunch-before-we-begin-our-very-loud-conversations?
look. You know the one. Squinty eyebrows. Clenched jaw.

I thought he caught my drift, but wouldn’t you know it, a
little further down the hall ol’ Jimmy had found someone else to chat it up
with. I waited until we reached the cafeteria and let all the other students
pass. When Jimmy walked by, I tugged him out of line, so we could have our own
little chat right there in the hallway.

Now Jimmy has a good heart. He looked surprised,
dumbfounded, clueless. And scared. “Let’s talk, Jim.” And just as the tears
began welling up, I knelt down on one knee and put my hand on his shoulder. I
thought I might get through to him a little better if I was on his level. What
he did next surprised me.

Jimmy proceeded to also get down on one knee and put his
hand on my shoulder as well. There we
were, a two-person huddle in the middle of the hallway, looking like we were
having a pre-lunch prayer. He looked up at me and started shaking his head at
himself, while patting me on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mr. Friermood. I’m real
sorry,” he says before I even begin.

And even though I knew he probably had no idea what he was
apologizing for, I couldn’t say anything but, “It’s okay, Jimmy. Now get up and
go have a good lunch.”

A couple of my favorite activities within the pack are the "Who Am I?" poster with open-the-flap clues about the student, and "A Maze of New Friends" where students must "unlock" the doors in a maze by finding classmates who fit the clues.

Feel free to check it out! You can save 28% on this and ALL my products during the HUGE Teachers Pay Teachers Back-to-School Sale on August 4th and 5th. Just used promo code BTS14 for the extra discount.